Candy Claws in Dreamland: New series to premiere in March

Fort Collins's Candy Claws has been able to achieve international attention in large part because they have been so adept at finding creative ways to reach potential listeners. The act's latest venture, a weekly show called Candy Claws in Dreamland that the members will shoot, edit and write the soundtrack for, may just be their best idea yet. "We were just thinking of different ways to stay busy creatively," says Ryan Hover. "This seemed to combine a lot of goals: Do more video, write more music, produce more content for fans on a regular basis."

The show will consist of experimental video shot by the band on an HD Flip of various day-to-day sorts of things: Mountain hikes, recording sessions and cooking were some examples offered by Hover. The content will be very open-ended, however, and may also feature things like animation.

Each episode will also feature original music written by the band expressly for whatever's happening on screen. Core members Hover and Kay Bertholf will do most of the show by themselves, although they'll make room for friends of the band whenever it makes sense. Touring member Celeste, for example, will provide narration. "She has the perfect tiny voice, very non-narrator," says Hover.

Candy Claws' music is atmospheric and contemplative, and creating visuals has long been a part of the way the band presented music. Dreamland is an especially appealing idea because it will allow the band to execute one vision simultaneously across a couple of mediums. The shows will be posted each Friday starting in March on the Candy Claws website.

"It'll be a challenge, keeping up with this and keeping it fresh, diverse and interesting," says Hover, "but creativity flourishes in adversity," he notes.

The band is also starting work on its third LP, which will be about the Mesozoic Era. The soundtracks for the show won't appear on the new album as is, although Hover says they will use parts of what they create in sample form. "There will probably be a few episodes showing our recording sessions for the new record," he says. "An inward spiral!"